KitchenPatterns

A kitchen, a website and human beings are always works in progress. Only dogs are born perfect and remain so until they blast off again. I am having a lot of trouble to present a list of kitchen needs tailored to suit a small kitchen or a small budget. I am assuming you have a sink, a fridge and freezer, a stove (or source of direct heat), an oven, plates, bowls, silverware, etc. In short that you have a perfectly normal kitchen and the items you need to serve and consume the product of your labors.

Before we dive into a sheer endless list ways to empty your wallet, often needlessly, here are my three best tips for the acquisition of kitchen gadgets (or anything else, for that matter). It’s old-fashioned advice but that’s how we roll around here.

Electricity arrived in rural midwest of the United States in the 1930’s, before that, nobody starved for lack of a food processor. Appliances are not necessary for great cooking. The best ones though can reduce the time it takes to get dinner on the table.

Appliances

Very Useful

A Food Processor: For slicing, grating, chopping.

Kitchen Scale: Best if it measures in grams and ounces.

An immersion blender: Purée like Escofier (wishes he could have, anyway)

Hand mixer: Not necessary if you want to build arm muscles.

Nice to Have

Blender / Vitamix => Totally unnecessary if you have a good food processor and an immersion blender.

A Stand Mixer / Kitchen Aid => Totally unnecessary if you have a hand mixer and are only planning on doing light-weight mixing (cookies, brownies, egg whites, mashed potatoes).

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Accouterments

I had a lot of rationale in these choices. So much in fact that it totally overran the objectives for this page, so I moved them. If you are curious as to what makes me think nobody needs a non-stick pan, plastic mixing bowls or a Microplane be sure to read Kitchen Accouterments

Pots and Pans (Stainless)

Mixing Bowls

Knives / Cutting Boards

Other Sharp Items Like a Cheese Grater

Canning Jars and Plastic Storage Box Thingys

Cake/Loaf Pans

Baking Sheet (Cookie Sheet)

Pizza Stone (I know, right? Best investment in years.)

Linen Kitchen Towels

Colander / Sieve

Other Useful Stuff

Strictly speaking, you don’t need any of these things but, from time to time, I find them useful.

Meat Thermometer

Garlic Press

A Microplane